‘Lobby Baby’ special brings refreshing comedy to Netflix
I was browsing Netflix, wondering what to watch when I saw a new comedy special that was just released on Nov. 5 by the name of “Lobby Baby.” The program was directed by Neal Brennan and stars the notoriously funny “Late Night” host, Seth Meyers.
Going into this special, I had no idea what to expect. Most of the comedy specials I see on Netflix are female comedians like Ellen DeGeneres or Amy Schumer and I know what their stand up background is, so I know what I signed up for when I choose to watch their specials. Not only that, but they talk about female struggles or problems that I can relate to, so I will often find myself yelling in agreement at my TV.
With Seth Meyers, however, I knew little beyond the fact that he was on Saturday Night Live and now hosts a successful late night show. The description of “Lobby Baby” on Netflix was vague, but the program is only about an hour, so I gave it a shot.
When I tell you that this special was funny, I mean I was laughing out loud alone in my room so much that my roommate had to come see if I was OK. Meyers’ delivery and facial expressions say it all. With perfectly timed jokes and his hysterical reenactment of what his pregnant wife looked like when she gave birth to their second child in the lobby of their apartment building, the special is a hit.
It was so refreshing, actually, to see a male comedian not focusing his set around women, dating advice or sex. This special is lighthearted, and all about funny stories of his family and his hilarious views on parenting. There is still explicit language, but it is in good taste, which is hard to find with comedians today. From my experience, male comedians have been so raunchy that their sets have been hard to watch.
Meyers spends most of the special talking about his wife and the series of crazy events leading up to how both of their children were born. One was born almost in a cab, and the other was nearly born in the apartment lobby. Meyers transitions to a segment on his childhood and another on the Catholic Church.
What really got me was the politics segment. Anyone who watches “Late Night” knows that on his show he discusses politics often. This special was no different, except he had Netflix insert a “Skip Politics” button for this interactive segment. Meyers said he recognizes that not everyone is into politics and some people are “fed up” with Trump jokes.
That said, before he starts his politics section, he gestures to a spot on the screen where people can skip through the entire section. But if viewers hit the button, it takes them to the end of the segment where Meyers admits to misjudging Trump and says that he is a “very good” president.
This of course is not actually the case — he included this part on purpose to mess with the people who skipped the politics section to make them curious enough to go back and watch it to see what they missed. The idea is as hilarious as it is genius.
Quite a few news outlets seem to be captivated by this “skip politics” feature and dwell on that more than the special itself. I saw several headlines that were about the skip button and did not even mention the quality of the special until halfway through the article.
Meyers also talks about his struggles as a 45-year-old husband and father. What I found entertaining about the special is that he acted his age. Too many times I have seen retired comedians return to stand up and try so hard to relate to the modern youth and make themselves seem younger than they are. Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer are prime examples of this.
Again, it was refreshing to see a special like “Lobby Baby” that was so fun and entertaining without having vulgarities. Don’t get me wrong, the special was not perfect. He has a very short pedophile segment that is kind of hit or miss, and the beginning of the special itself takes a minute to capture viewer attention. Once it does, though, it is a pleasure to watch and a great stress reliever.
I think his impersonation of his wife at the end really wrapped things up and brought it full circle. He manages to make fun of himself in a way that is quirky and unexpected, but simultaneously hilarious. In comedy, the audience sees the perspective of the comedian all the time, but with the ending segment the audience gets to see his wife’s perspective, and it creates this electric and light attitude to finish the show.
Overall, I think the special was pretty good as far as stand-up comedy go. I am a 21-year-old college student and the jokes about parenting and marriage resonate with me and make me laugh. That just goes to show that you don’t have to always rely on programs or comedians you can relate to. Good humor is good humor, and we all need a good laugh every once in a while. So the next time you do, I recommend the Seth Meyers “Lobby Baby” comedy special on Netflix.